


The Follow-Up

by TheBasilRathbone



Category: The Office (UK)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 17:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10667496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBasilRathbone/pseuds/TheBasilRathbone
Summary: When the follow-up episode (Christmas special) is aired six months after the Christmas party, Dawn and Tim watch it together.





	The Follow-Up

The follow-up aired on a Tuesday, six months and three days after the Christmas party. Not exactly a prime-time slot, but it is a documentary about a paper company, after all.

Dawn arrived twenty minutes early with a bottle of wine in hand to watch it with Tim. Or rather, with Tim's family. In fact it was Tim that answered the door only moments after she rang the doorbell, helping her out of her raincoat and kissing her briefly before leading her into the kitchen. 

Dawn received a kiss on the cheek from Tim's mother and a nod of greeting from his grandmother. She set the bottle of wine on the counter, locating the glasses from the cupboard without difficulty while Tim grabbed the corkscrew. 

Soon, they all settled into the living room, Mr. and Mrs. Canterbury, Nana, and Tim's younger brother all crammed onto the sofa, while Tim sat on an undersized, hideously-patterned chair in the corner, Dawn perched on the arm, his arm around her waist. 

"Ten quid says they cut the part where we get together," Tim says quietly as the title screen appeared, voice teasing, but that underlying self-consciousness bubbling up. "I'll look more pathetic that way. They like to make me look pathetic."

"'Making you look pathetic' implies that you're not actually pathetic in real life," Tim's younger brother garbled around a mouthful of crisps, tossing one at Tim as, on screen, Tim locked Gareth into his office. 

Tim's brother booed again every time Tim appeared on screen, talking again about Dawn's rejection.  _And my grandmother said, 'I'm not surprised she chose the other fella, I wouldn't kick him out of bed._

Before Tim's brother can respond, she looked towards Tim's grandmother. "I know Lee's sister's number in Florida," she offered, making a show of stretching an arm over the back of Tim's chair. "He's all yours."

The condescending smirks in Tim's direction dissolved and the family breaks into howls of laughter. Tim squeezed her waist, looking pleased to not be the butt of the joke, for once. 

The documentary is as disheartening as expected. Tim could see just how unhappy he was, not to mention pathetic, and if his years-long pining hadn't gotten him Dawn in the end, he'd be even more humiliated than he was now. What he hadn't expected was to see Dawn so unhappy in Florida with Lee. Maybe if she was less miserable he would be more smug. Besides, with Dawn half-sitting on his lap, six months on, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck, it was hard to still be bitter. 

Despite his family taking the piss out of him for the better part of an hour, his mother 'aw'd' when Dawn appeared at the end of the Christmas party. Ignoring his brother's lewd comments as on-screen-Tim was led away, real-life-Tim stretched up for a kiss from real-life Dawn, once again his an audience. 

"That'll be our wedding song," Dawn informed him, casually, brushing through his hair with her fingers. 

"You want to dance to Yazoo at our wedding?" Tim protested without hesitation, as though this isn't the first time they've discussed getting married. 

"No, you're right. Let's do David Brent's single. Better yet, he can be your best man. We'll name all of our children David. Regardless if they're boys or girls." 

When the evening came to a close, she bid his family goodbye, and Tim walked her to the door and helped her into her coat. "So are we...uh...still on? For this weekend?"

"'Course," she said softly. They stood silently for a moment, awkwardly, staring at their shoes, until Dawn slid her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. "I'm glad we watched it together. Thanks for having me over."

"Yeah. I'm...well, my...parents are so glad to have you over to their house," he said sheepishly, leaning in again for another kiss. 

"Well, as of this weekend, we can have people over to  _our_ place," she said quietly, running her hands over the front of his shirt. 

He leaned in to kiss her again, both of them lingering, not wanting to say goodbye. "I...guess I'll see you tomorrow at work?"

"And for drinks after," she agreed. 

"Love you," he said quietly, lest his brother hear and taunt him for it. 

Dawn grinned, pulling him in for one last kiss before stepping over the threshold. "Love you, too."


End file.
